


What Happens in Rome, Stays in Rome.

by MarvelQueen6



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, One Shot, Smut, happy-ish ending, kind of, safe sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-21 06:02:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3680670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvelQueen6/pseuds/MarvelQueen6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve feels suffocated by his dad's new job and while on a trip to Rome he has the chance to get away for a while so he does. However, his planned day of sight seeing is interrupted by a handsome stranger who complicates Steve's feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Happens in Rome, Stays in Rome.

“Look at that view!” Sam smiled as they landed down in Rome, Steve’s family had been called to a conference overseas and he’d jumped at the chance to go. Since his father had become a senator his life had been more controlled and, therefore, quite limited to what he could and could not do. So when his parents offered to bring him along to Rome, Steve couldn’t measure his excitement. 

“I wonder how much of it we’ll actually get to see.” Steve said morbidly. Although he wanted to go, his parent schedule was busy so the guards would be indisposed and Steve was forbidden from going alone. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all. 

“Oh, Steve, are we not good enough company?” Peggy teased from the other side of him which made him crack half a smile.

“Of course you are, Peggy.” The trio laughed some more about memories they’d had together when they’d been left somewhere and Steve couldn’t help but feel so thankful for them. If it wasn’t for Peggy and Sam, he would have gone crazy by now and probably left. It wasn’t that long to the hotel but that even looked like too much, they could never stay anywhere small, always extravagant. 

“Woo, look at all this!” Sam exclaimed as they looked around the suite. He was definitely the most optimistic of them all and always make the best of everything, or tried to, but Peggy knew. Peggy knew that Steve thought it was all too much and that is why he needs them both.

“Look at that view,” Peggy sighed from the bay window which overlooked most of Rome.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to experience it first hand? See it up close instead of from here.” Steve sighed as he look out next to his friends.

“You probably couldn’t see all of Rome if you were walking around but from here, you can see it all!” Sam joked as he threw his arm around Steve’s muscular shoulders.

“The man has a point, Steve.” Peggy smiled as she looked in the mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of champagne. 

“Yeah, I know, you pour while I go to the bathroom.” Steve smiled. When he came out of the bathroom, he could hear his friends whispering about him so he stopped to let them finish but while he stood there he glanced towards the elevator. He could just leave and they couldn’t stop him or talk him out of it. Obviously there would be trouble but Rome was waiting. As quietly as he could, Steve pressed the button so the doors opened and he stepped inside. He’d make it up to them later he thought while pressing the button to take him to the lobby.

~

“He’s so unhappy,” Peggy sighed as she saw her longest friend walk away with a slouch.

“Of course he is, Peg, he can’t do anything anymore and then he gets the pressure of his parents trying to get him to marry you.” At this, Peggy rolled her eyes in boredom.

“Don’t start with that, we all know I’m not Steve’s type,” Peggy said with a hint of anger.

“We know that but there’s not a lot we can do except be here for him and,” Sam was cut off when they heard the elevator doors close. The pair shared a look of worry before Peggy shouted to Steve to see if he was there. 

“Steve?” Sam shouted after her but neither of them received an answer. They both stood and Sam went into the bathroom while Peggy checked the spare room. 

“Nothing.” Sam shouted and Peggy echoed it. 

“What the hell are we going to do?” she asked with her hands on her hips.

“I have no idea but we are so, so fucked.” Usually, Peggy wouldn’t condone such language but on this one occasion she had to nod in agreement.

~

“Give it up, Barnes, you’ve lost.” Natasha smirked as she downed her shot of vodka.

“Never, Romanov.” Bucky smirked as he laid his cards with four of a kind, four threes. Bucky grinned while he went to take the money out of the centre but Natasha batted his hands away.

“Read ‘em and weep.” Natasha laughed while laying her royal flush, the king, queen, jack and ten of hearts. 

“Ah fuck!” At this Natasha threw her head back and laughed at her friend’s misfortune. “One more game!” he protested but Nat knew when to pick and choose her battles. Right now, she was winning and she intended to stay ahead.

“Not a chance, maybe tomorrow.” She winked while she stood and threw on her leather jacket. Bucky had no chance but to admit to defeat so he too put on his coat and they walked out together. “Bring more money next time, I enjoy taking your money.”

“Don’t be so sure.” He smiled before embracing her in a one armed hug and pressing a kiss to her right temple. They said their goodbyes and Bucky set off towards his little flat. When he and Nat were asked, a month previous, by their boss to go across to his partner in Rome and get some news stories, they’d been elated. A free holiday and they were getting paid for it, heaven to anyone but since their arrival news seemed to have been slow which meant more time to drink and explore. Unfortunately, the novelty wore off fast and now they were bored so they wanted nothing more than to return to USA. Bucky’s thoughts of slow news were forgotten when he heard mumbling, he turned the corner to see someone sat on the wall looking a little lost. He was adorable but buff, maybe he’d lost his girlfriend somewhere.

“Are you okay?” Bucky asked which seemed to startle the beauty on the wall.

“Um, yeah, I uh, I got here today and thought I didn’t need a map.” He smiled while a blush crept up his cheeks to show his embarrassment.

“We’ve all been there, so where are you heading? Maybe I can direct you.” Bucky smiled.

“Are you some kind of tour guide?” Steve joked and Bucky shrugged.

“I can be.” He was flirting, Bucky was flirting and he really hoped this stranger would flirt back. He may be some kind of winner tonight.

“It’s fine, I’ll find my way around.”

“It’s a bit late to be wondering around and trying to find your way back.”

“I have a confession, I’m not actually lost, I ran away and I’m not ready to go back yet.” Bucky thought about it for a moment or two and left the silence in the air. He wasn’t sure how to go from here but he felt like he needed to offer help to him, so he did.

“Ahh, I have a couch if you’re interested?” The silence continued for what seemed like so long and Bucky seemed to be holding his breath while he did but when Steve’s mouth opened, then unexpected came out. He agreed.

They arrived at Bucky’s not half an hour later and he provided Steve with some pyjamas. While they walked to his flat, they finally introduced themselves but not after Steve found out that Bucky was with the press. After this discovery, Steve decided upon giving Bucky the name Sam so he wouldn’t work out who he was, after all, his father’s visit was all he saw on the way to the hotel.

“Here you go, Sam,” 

“Thanks.” Steve crawled onto the sofa while Bucky climbed into his double bed on the other side of the room. It was awfully cramped in Bucky’s apartment compared to the suite Steve had been given at the hotel but somehow he felt more freedom now than he had since his father’s election. None of that matter as Steve smiled while drifting off to sleep.

~

Bucky woke first and was alerted to the other presence in the room. He sat up and looked over at ‘Sam’ who was looked so big curled up on his small sofa. 

“Mm…” Steve stirred which prompted Bucky to say good morning as he flopped back into his pillows. “Morning, Sam.” His guest said dreamily which made Bucky frown and raise back into the seating position.   
Fuck.

“Morning, how was your night?” he asked trying to think of a way around his problem without involving Nat. If she heard this then she would never let him live this down. He’d stupidly let thing person in his flat because he was adorable and now he discovered he was a liar as well as a runaway. Awesome.

“It was good, such a nice dream, there was a handsome man who was so nice to me… so, so nice.” Bucky had to smirk at this information but his guest continued. “I know I’m not supposed to say that but he was beautiful.” There’s an extended silence before the stranger beings to snore lightly which Bucky took as his cue to get up and go to work. 

~

“Morning, Loser.” Nat smirked as she perches herself on the edge of his desk.

“Morning, anything new around here?”

“No but the conference has been held off while the Senator’s son gets better, apparently, he’s ‘sick’.” She laughed and even used her fingers to quote the word ‘sick’.

“Great, even less work.” Bucky sighed and ran his fingers through his hair but stopped and frowned. “You don’t think his son is sick?”

“No, the guy is being told what he can and cannot do, if that was us and we were brought here to Rome, what would we do?”

“We’d run away.” Bucky said while thinking of what the stranger had said to him the previous evening. After a moment of thinking, Bucky stood abruptly and threw on his jacket, missing the arm hole several times in his rush.

“Woah, something you wanna share?”

“Maybe, just keep your phone handy.” He winked before rushing out of the building. 

“I am so fucking stupid.” He chuckled to himself on the way home to his prize. If he could get all the inside scoop from Steven Roger about his father then he could sell it for the best price. He and Nat could split it fifty-fifty and then go back to New York and to their old boss, Nick Fury. He was so much nicer than Alexander Pierce who was cursing them every day for not having any stories for him but now they’d give him one that would knock his socks off. Asshole.

Bucky walked up to his door and opened it. He was gone. 

Shit. 

“Hi,” Bucky turned to see ‘Sam’ standing behind him, he must’ve been at the little shop around the corner or out on the veranda. He was dressed in the clothes from the previous night, a tight grey shirt which showed off his muscles excellently and a pair of expensive looking jeans.

“Hey,” Bucky smiled with a mix of genuine happiness and relief that he was still here. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I should go back now, but thank you and I was really just waiting so I could say goodbye.” He still looked sad, like he wanted convincing to stay for a while longer or to be talked out of going back at all.

“No problem, glad I could help but, if I were you, I’d take the scenic route to really experience Rome on the way back.”

“I might just do that,” Steve smirked as he held out his hand for Bucky to take and he did. They held on for longer than necessary and Steve only pulled back when Bucky ran his thumb lightly over his hand causing a blush to creep up from his neck. “Well, thank you, James.”

“Bucky. My friends call me Bucky.” 

“Right, well, I’m sure I’ll see you around, Bucky.” He smiled before turning to leave the flat. Bucky let his eyes drift down and watch Steve walk away. He did have a fine ass. Bucky waited five minutes, until he was sure Steve had left before he pulled out his cell and called Natasha.

“Bucky! What have you got for me? Pierce, has been breathing down my neck since you left, please tell me you have something!” 

“Tell Pierce I can get him an inside scoop from the Senator’s son himself, on everything.”

“Oh yeah? And how exactly are you going to pull that one off?” Bucky just smirked down the phone before telling her to trust him and he’d message her in an hour or so. First, he had to get some information. 

After he’d hung up, he locked up his flat and headed to the streets to find Steve. The guy couldn’t have gone that far when he didn’t know his way around.

~

Steve wandered down the streets of Rome, taking in all the small streets and busy people. Bucky was right, the scenic route was the best to go down. He stopped off a quick ice cream before sitting himself on a bench facing the Trevi Fountain. Rome really was beautiful. As he enjoyed his ice cream his mind drifted back to Bucky, he’d been so nice to him for no reason and Steve smiled to himself. In a different life maybe their outcome would have been different. Promptly, he shook himself out of these thoughts and finished off his cone while looking at the waters. Just as he was about to stand up, a shadow with a familiar face loomed over him.

“Sam?”

“Bucky?”

“I thought it was you but I wasn’t sure.” He joked as he sat beside him so there was a small gap between their thighs.

“Not following me are you?” Steve joked but wondered if the reason he’d been so nice was to do with his parents. He hoped not, that would take the magic out of their meeting.

“Nah, just going for a coffee, join me? I can even take you home so you aren’t lost again.” He joked but hoped that Steve would take him up on his offer of the coffee. He did. On   
their way to his favourite coffee stop, he dropped Nat a quick text telling her to be there as soon as she could. She would love this but rub it in Bucky’s face she was right about the Senator’s son being ‘sick’.

They seated outside at Steve’s request so they could appreciate the heat of Rome which enjoying their coffee.

“This is amazing,” Steve grinned as he sipped the bitter coffee in front of him.

“That it is, Starbucks is good but this is the stuff.” Bucky joked and Steve nodded in agreement. 

“Whereabouts in America are you from?” Steve asked conversationally trying to stop himself from staring at Bucky’s lips when he licked them every now and then.

“Me and my friend, Nat, work all over but originally, I’m from Brooklyn, yourself?”

“What do you know, we’re from the same neck of the woods.”

“No way.” He grinned and the pair of them laughed and joked about their home town for half an hour before Nat arrived.

“Barnes.” She said as she slid into a seat next to Steve and smirked.

“Nat, this is Sam, I found him last night and offered to shown him around Rome.” Bucky explained while using him eyes to tell Nat to play along and say nothing about who he was.

“Ah, Bucky does have a habit of picking up strays, good to meet you, Sam.” She smiled holding out her hand for him to shake. “What did I hear about you showing him around?”

“Well, I have the day off so, what’d you say, Sam?” Steve contemplated the pros and cons before agreeing. He’d left already so he might as well enjoy himself while he could. Steve excused himself to the bathroom while Bucky and Nat decided where they were going to go.

Once he was out of ear shot Natasha turned to her best friend, “You are a genius, Bucky Barnes! I take the photos, you ask the questions and between us we have a hell of a piece.”

“Fifty-fifty split at the end?”

“You bet your ass.” She smirked as the pair fist bumped as Steve returned.

“Where to?”

“The coliseum.” Bucky answered as he jumped up. Steve had to smile at Bucky’s enthusiasm to show him round, Bucky missed the smile but Natasha did not. Instead, she looped her arm through Steve’s and led him on. 

Today was going to be fun.

~

When they arrived at the Coliseum, Steve’s eyes lit up and Nat took her first photo. It was natural, he didn’t look so the photo caught his true reaction to the ruins. He dragged the duo instead so he could see it all, he really didn’t want to miss anything. Natasha kept glancing between the two of them, the way Bucky smiled at Steve’s reactions and it made her heart ache. He really was in over his head with this one. Bucky asked Steve a few questions about his life, subtle enough that he got a few answers but questions that got him information. Things that not any member of the press would be able to ask.

Next stop, Pantheon! Steve loved it, the outside took his breath away and without a thought, he grabbed Bucky’s hand to lead him inside. Nat took a few pictures of the encounter before checking over her collection so far. They could definitely work with these.

“You think it’s amazing now, you should see it at night.” Bucky said to Steve as he looked up at the room in wonder.

“I bet it’s magically.”

“That’s Rome for you, the city of magic.” 

“Don’t I know it.” He sighed while studying Bucky’s face as opposed to the architecture around them. Bucky nodded but saw Steve’s gaze out the corner of his eyes and turned to look into his blue eyes. They were possibly more beautiful than Rome itself.

“You guys ready? I’ve got an idea for the next stop!” Nat grinned as her red hair gleamed in the sunshine.

“Yeah, lead the way.” Steve said a little uncomfortably before following on to their third site.

“The mouth of truth, legend has it, if you stick your hand in a liar then the God with take it off.” Nat smiled before sliding her hand into the hole with a smirk. 

“Confident, Barnes?” Bucky shrugged and placed his hand in the hole. When his hand was firmly by his side he turned to Steve and raised an eyebrow.

“Sure.” Steve nervously and slowly moved his hand to the hole. Just as his fingers passed into the hole, Bucky gave an almighty shout which made Steve jump back several feet and Natasha almost drop her phone. Bucky bent double with laughter while Steve tried to get his breathing under control. 

“The fuck is your problem, Barnes?”

“I’m sorry.” He gasped out between breaths while Steve let out a few chuckles to hide his nerves.

Their next stop, the forum. It was getting darker now and the ruins were lit up. Bucky was so happy that he could show Steve all of this, he wouldn’t miss these reactions for the world and that was a terrifying thought. 

As they walked away from the forum, Bucky asked Steve how he felt about motorbikes. He’d never actually ridden one so Bucky rented one from a store around the corner. He and Nat told Steve there was one last place they needed to take him, to a party. 

Natasha said she would meet them there so she climbed in her car and drove towards the castel sant'angelo. Before she left though, she managed to get a few of the pair on the motorbike with Steve clinging to Bucky’s waist.

Bucky climbed on the front of the bike and motioned for Steve to climb on the back. After a moment of hesitation he wrapped his arms around Bucky’s waist and held tightly. The heat between their bodies took their breath away initially but they managed to compose themselves. The drive didn’t take long, in fact, it was over too soon for both of them.   
Natasha was already there, it seemed someone was throwing a party on a barge on the river. There was a live band there who were playing and a bar but Steve’s favourite part of it was the lanterns which illuminated the barge itself. 

“Hey, this is Clint, Sam. Sam, this is Clint, a friend of ours.”

“Hey, first drinks are on me.” He said handing them all a beer before taking Natasha for a dance. Steve and Bucky stood by the bar nursing their beers as Bucky checked his watch.

“Look at that, Steve, we’ve been friends almost twenty-four hours.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Steve chuckles but his joy is short lived when he sees them. He knows who they are and they’re here for him. He tried to remain calm so he moved to the railings and rested his elbows on with his back to the guards. He was there for a few moments until Bucky came to join him but he was stood close to him, much closer than they’d ever been. He was stood beside him but he could feel every breath he took he was that close. Steve stood to full height so he could look into Bucky’s eyes and feel his breath on his face. “Bucky…”

“Steve…” The blood froze in his veins but he didn’t have a chance to say anything as he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see the familiar face of a man who been nicknamed Dum Dum by his friends and had insisted Steve all him the same.

“Come with us, Steve, please,” He turned to Bucky whose eyes were pleading for him to refuse so he turned to the older man and shook his head. “Steve, please don’t cause a scene.”

“I’m fine and I’m staying here.”

“No, you’re not.” He moved to grab Steve’s arm but a female hand shot out of nowhere. Steve followed he hand to see Natasha stood there.

“I really wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Beside her Clint looked ready to jump in at any moment and defend her although she really didn’t need it. The man beside Dum Dum attempted to move her hand but Clint jumped in. From that moment onwards the whole barge seemed to be in a group fight. With the guards distracted, Bucky gripped Steve’s hand and led him over to the edge.

Natasha was trained in martial arts so the men didn’t even get a chance to follow Steve and Bucky to the edge of the barge and she was going to make sure they couldn’t follow them anywhere. Beside her, Clint, was more than willing to help her take these guys out, as it turns out, so was half the ther guests who didn’t even know what had happened.

~

“We’re going to have to swim to that bank, ready?” Bucky took Steve grip on his hand in confirmation so the pair jumped. They swam for the other side but half way across Bucky stopped to see if everyone was okay, it seemed Nat and Clint had it covered. No sooner did he turn back to the bank was he on land with his right arm wrapped around Steve’s shoulders to keep him warm. 

“Are you okay?” Bucky asked while he rubbed the other male’s shoulders in an attempt to stop him shivering.

“Are you?” Steve chuckled as he turned to his friend who was also dripping wet.

“I’m great.” He said quietly but these words held a lot of meaning to them. For the millionth time since he’d left his suite the previous evening Steve contemplated whether or not to do something and, just like the other times, he did it. Slowly, he lent forward and pressed his lips to Bucky’s. He was met with an immediate response and a tongue probing at the seam of his lips. It was better than he could’ve imagined as their tongues rubbed together and his hands wrapped in Bucky’s hair. Bucky’s hair was just the right length that he had something to grip onto and the stubble on his cheek felt amazing against his skin. Bucky’s hands startled Steve when they brushed his abdomen which was just showing from the bottom of his shirt. 

“Sorry,” Bucky pulled back, a little bit embarrassed that he’d panicked Steve by doing that but the kiss was the best he’d ever had.

“Don’t be.” Steve said with a small sigh. “Maybe we should go?” He had to stop this now before it went too far, even though, they both knew it had already.

“Yeah, we’d better get dry.” Bucky agreed, a little bit disheartened but he stood up none the less and took Steve back to where he’d parked him motorcycle and they drove back to Bucky’s apartment. 

~ 

The whole way back seemed to have a certain tension in the air but whether it was the kiss or the fact Bucky had called Steve by his real name, neither of them were sure about it. Once they arrived at Bucky’s, Steve went into the bathroom and stole the bathrobe before putting his clothes on the radiator to dry for a moment. He looked at himself in the mirror in preparation to talk to Bucky before he went into the living room/bedroom.   
In that room, Steve was met with a shirtless Bucky in just a pair of grey joggers. 

“Are they ruined?”

“No, they’ll be dry in a moment.” He smiled awkwardly. “Look, Bucky,” he began but the shirtless male in front of him interrupted him.

“I know who you are, I’m not stupid,” 

“What gave me away?” Steve knew his story seemed a little bit too farfetched but he had hoped that he could’ve pulled it off.

“You said you’d runaway and I would have too. Plus, you were talking to the real Sam in your sleep.” Bucky chuckled when he saw Steve’s crack a small smirk and pinch the bridge of his nose in horror.

“Wow, so you’ve known all day?”

“I have so I decided to make sure your day of freedom was one to be remembered.” It was only a partial lie, yes he did want Steve to have a good time but he had another motive. That was irrelevant now because there was no way he was going to do it, he’d rather just go home and get yelled at by Nick.

“It has been, thank you but now I’m starving and I wish you had a kitchen so I could cook us something,” Steve sighed as he sat on the edge of Bucky’s bed.

“I’ll have to move then.” Bucky smirked from his stop near the door. “Maybe I’ll get somewhere closer to the sites so we can see the Pantheon at night, I said it was magical and I can show you.” While he spoke Bucky walked closer to Steve, he needed one last kiss from him.

“I think these past twenty-four hours have been the most magical I’ll ever experience.” Steve looked up to see Bucky stood in front of him. Slowly, like it was happening in slow motion, he pressed a kiss the point where Bucky’s joggers met his toned stomach. The feather light kiss made Bucky’s cock harden faster than it ever had before which matched how he felt for Steve. Strong emotions and really quickly. He placed his hands on Steve’s chin and pulled his face up to his. While Bucky had him distracted he undid the knot of the robe to slide it off his shoulders before he pushed Steve down onto the bed. 

“Steve,” he moaned against his cheek before he kissed down his neck while nipping lightly at the skin every so often. His skin was smooth and firm, just as Bucky had imagined.   
Steve’s skin was on fire with Bucky pressed against him and he needed more. He brought up his right leg and tried to remove Bucky’s joggers by using his toes. These efforts made Bucky chuckle into his neck before getting up to remove the last piece of clothing between them. While he did, he made sure to take in all of Steve’s body which was laid out on his bed.

Under Bucky’s gaze, Steve felt a little vulnerable but it thrilled him all the same. Once he saw all of Bucky the thrill overtook the embarrassment as he was hard for him, all for him. All his thoughts stopped when Bucky came over to him and nudged his knees further apart so he could fit between them as he caught Steve’s lips in his own. Steve shuffled towards the centre of the bed, making sure to pull Bucky with him so they didn’t have to part. Bucky pulled Steve’s legs further up so he could grind their leaking erection together and memorise Steve’s face as he moaned his name.

“Bucky, more, fuck!” Steve panted while he dragged his nails down Bucky’s back.

“How do you want me, Steve? What do you want me to do?” he whispered sliding his hand between them to give them more stimulation. 

“I want you to… to… I want you inside me, please,” Steve stammered trying to focus his thoughts while he enjoyed to feel of Bucky above him.

“God, yes,” the latter groaned sitting back on his heals to reach for the lube in his bed side table. Once he had it, he opened the lid and coated his fingers in the substance before he moved his hand to where it needed to be. Slowly, he slid one finger inside while his other hand returned to Steve’s erection. Steve’s back lifted off the bed slightly at the shock and pleasure of both stimulations but as Bucky increased the speed of both stimulation he loosened up around Bucky’s fingers and relaxed. 

“I think I’m ready,” Bucky chuckled at his eagerness and leant down to kiss his toned stomach.

“Not yet,”

“Bucky,” he whined as he pushed back onto Bucky’s fingers.

“So, so eager,” Bucky withdrew his fingers and reached for a condom. He rolled it on and made sure he was coated generously before hooking Steve’s legs around his waist. 

“Ready?”

“Yes.” He whispered against Bucky’s lips before joining them together once again. Steve grimaced slightly when Bucky first entered him but when his prostate was found the pain eased. 

Bucky made sure the drag out his thrusts in a steady rhythm so it would last forever. It was slow and lazy; more like making love then sex because it was, so much more. Steve came first with a groan right in Bucky’s ear, this accompanied by Steve’s nails sent Bucky over the edge. The latter eventually pulled out and tied off the condom before returning to his place on the bed beside Steve. Neither cared about Steve’s cum drying on their stomachs and the bed sheets. Their hands just found each other and laced their fingers together while they caught their breath.

“That was amazing,” Bucky grinned up at the ceiling as he and Steve bathed in the afterglow of their love making. 

“Yeah, it was.” Steve agreed before turning to his lover. “Bucky, I,” he began but he was cut off.

“I know and I do too. Please don’t say it.” Bucky begged as he bit his tongue to keep the tears in his eyes. Wordlessly, they got up and dressed before climbing onto Bucky’s motorbike. The latter didn’t need to be told where to go, he knew but he wished he didn’t. They pulled up outside the hotel and they both climbed off. 

“You should go,”

“I know.” Steve turned to walk inside before he quickly turned to wrap him in his arms. “Don’t forget me.” Bucky let the first tear roll slowly down his cheek while he squeezed Steve’s body to his own.

“I love you.” Steve sobbed into Bucky’s shoulder and in that moment, Bucky felt his heart break in two because their worlds were just too different.

“I love you too.” If the pair hadn’t heard footsteps behind them, they may never have parted but they did to see a shocked Peggy and Sam. 

“Steve,” Peggy cried as she pulled him into her arms and away from Bucky. “Come on, you are in so much shit!” she shouted pushing him through the doors and out of Bucky’s sight. 

“Hey, tell him I said goodbye?” Bucky asked the man who’d lingered behind.

“I will.” He climbed onto his motorcycle and drove back to his home. He damned himself for stopping and he damned Steve for the love he felt. Bucky always thought love at first sight was ridiculous and childish but no, turns out it does exists and it hates him.

James Buchanan Barnes cried himself to sleep holding the pillow that still smelt of Steve and hoped it would linger on him for a while. He would remember all of it, Steve’s face as he saw it all and how he’d gone from being Bucky’s story to the man he loved. He would definitely never forget.

~

“Stupid! Inconsiderate!” Peggy yelled as she paced in front of Steve who she’d hugged before she shoved him into a seat to begin her pre-planned lecture.

“I’m sorry, Peg,”

“You’ve been gone for twenty-nine hours, Steven! Over a day without a word and with a stranger!” she yelled before she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. It was hard to convey the feeling of anger and relief all at once.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he cried as the tears rolled down his cheeks. At this time, Sam walked into the room and went to his side. 

“Are you okay?”

“No, but I promise not to do it again, I’ve learnt my lesson.”

“Steve, did that guy hurt you?” Peggy asked but Sam threw her a glare which was enough to scare Satan. There was an extended silence where the suite was only filled with the sound of Steve sobbing into his hands. This seemed to drag on for a long time while his friends waited for any kind of communication from him but eventually, he spoke.

“No, he didn’t hurt me, he loved me.”

“Steve,” Peggy sighed, all her anger gone and she realised her raised voice wasn’t helping. 

“He told me to tell you that he said goodbye.” Steve cried for another hour before he spoke without the need for tears. 

“What’s on the schedule for tomorrow?” 

“I don’t,”

“Please, Sam, I just want to go to bed and start a fresh tomorrow.”

“Well, breakfast with your parents and then there is the press talk about what your family thought of Rome and then a lunch time flight back home.”

“Right, wake me up a little bit earlier so I can shower, please. Night.” Steve said as he went into his bedroom to sleep.

“Whatever happened in Rome, changed him.”

“Of course he did, love does that.” Peggy sighed.

~

There was a knock at his door and Bucky had never jumped up more enthusiastically. He opened his front door a crack before Natasha pushed it the rest of the way. 

“Got the photos, please tell me that you have a draft of the article? This is going to knock Pierce’s smirk right off his face!” She grinned as she pulled an envelope from her bag which no doubt had the photos from their adventure.

“There isn’t going to be a story, Nat,”

“What the fuck, Buck? We trailed him around all day for nothing?”

“No, I did it because I wanted to do it and I won’t do it because I care about him. I won’t do it and as my best friend, I don’t want you to.”

“You fell for him, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did.”

“You know, not publishing it won’t bring him back?”

“I know but then it’s more special, it’ll be our very own Roman Holiday.” Nat smiled and knew he wouldn’t be swayed to thinking differently so she let it go. They all had fun anyway so it was a great experience and the money didn’t matter.

“Wanna see them anyway?” The pair looked through the photos of Steve and a few which had Bucky in as well, like the one of him being dragged into the Pantheon which is hand locked with Steve’s. There was one of him at every landmark they took him too, one which even caught his fright at the mouth of truth. There were also a few that Bucky hadn’t seen, Nat must have taken them when he and Steve were stood together on the barge.

“Is the conference today?” Bucky asked after he finished looking at the photos. 

“Yeah, officially Steve is better so we have to go.”

“Then we can return back this weekend, Rome won’t be the same anymore.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

~

“Let’s go to the front,” Natasha insisted while as she tugged on Bucky’s arm. 

“Nat, please,” he said half-heartedly, on one hand he really didn’t want to see Steve but then again, he could be the last time so he kind of did. Natasha wormed them their way to   
the front with some familiar newspaper reporters who they’ve rivalled over stories with. This time however, Bucky knew something they never would. No one would.

“Introducing Senator Rogers, his wife and son.” The three of them came out and took their seats, there were a few extra people there including the two people who met Steve last night. They were stood close by his side and there was no doubt in Bucky’s mind that they had seen him there in the front.  
The questions start but Bucky says heard and said nothing. He really paid no attention to anything that wasn’t Steve in a suit. He did come back to the world when he heard Natasha’s voice.

“What was your favourite thing about being here?” she asked, directing the question at the Senator but his son’s voice, Steve’s voice, spoke out instead.

“By far, the best part of this whole trip was Rome, just Rome and I’ll never forget what happened here for as long as I live.” Although he looked at Natasha, his words were for Bucky. After that there was only a couple more question about where they plan to go next and when they’re heading back to America but nothing too important.   
There was a flash of a few photos before Steve and his father came down to shake hands with the press at the front, include Bucky and Natasha. They start on one side and work their way across. Bucky knew he was getting closer and Natasha gives his hand a small squeeze in comfort which she usually never does.  
Eventually, he was there, stood right in front of him.

“James Barnes, American News Service.”

“Nice to meet you, James.” They shook hands but didn’t let go. The pair just looked each and kept a firm grip.

“I have these for you, as a memory of Rome.” Bucky smiled as he handed Steve a small, brown envelope. He frowned slightly and opened the flap. His face morphed to one of joy and then dropped to sadness but he recovered quickly.

“Thank you.” He turned to head back to his friends and family. Steve and his family received a goodbye before they left. Steve didn’t turn back once as he left, not once and Bucky couldn’t be more thankful. If he had then Bucky would’ve cried and that would’ve done no one any good.

Bucky waited until all the other members of the press, including Natasha had left and he just stared at the door where Steve left from. He stared for a while and a selfish part of him wanted Steve to come back through and to him but he knew Steve had obligations. That he couldn’t, so reluctantly he turned and headed for the exit. 

Maybe they met in the wrong life or maybe, it was just the wrong time.

End.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I might do a sequel but I'm not sure yet. The story is based off the movie Roman Holiday which I highly recommend but it does make me cry so have tissues handy! :) I own nothing but I hope you enjoyed anyway, thank you for reading.


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